In BAC’s new Wellness Studio Blog, we invite you to share the passion we have for healing arts, and show how you can use featured Brooklyn traditions from our global diasporas to nurture and heal your body, community, and soul.
Today’s Brooklyn tradition that heals: Cumbia!
Cumbia is a style of music that originated in Colombia. It is rooted in African, indigenous, and European musical styles and often includes instruments like drums, gaita flutes, maracas, and accordions.
It is identifiable with its distinct one-two-three beat. Though it began in Colombia, cumbia is widely popular across Latin America, and styles vary depending on region. For instance, Peruvian cumbia, or chicha, frequently uses psychedelic electric guitar, while a Mexican variation of cumbia employs a slower tempo and lots of accordion.
Modern cumbia draws on various popular music styles, like hip-hop and rock. Cumbia is the amalgamation of many cultures. Indigenous people learned African drumming, African people learned indigenous flute, and Europeans learned dance and vocal styles. Ultimately, cumbia is a reflection of how intercultural and intergenerational connection is intensified through music.
Visit BAC Sonic Clinic to learn more about Martín Vejarano.
We spoke to Martín Vejarano, a cumbia musician in Brooklyn.
“I would say that the healing powers of music and the wellness implied in it are present in the way these three cultures came together. Because it wasn't easy in the beginning. You know, Africans were enslaved and brought against the real to the Americas. And so were indigenous people. They were enslaved and oppressed in their territory. Many [convicts in] Europe came to the New World as a last resort for their lives. But humans, you know, being humans had the capacity to be resilient and communicate through music and art.”
Cumbia heals through togetherness. Take a minute to learn basic cumbia steps, by yourself or with a partner.
Stand with both feet together. Listen for the one-two-three beat
On the beat, shift your right foot behind the left at an angle
Take a small step in place with your left foot
Move your right foot back to the starting position
Repeat the sequence on the other side, starting with your left foot
Let your hips move as you distribute your weight on your feet
Find someone else to dance with, whatever that looks like to you!